Hey there! I just got my hands on some fallen trees and want to carve them into something cool, but I've noticed that they have a lot of small cracks and splits. I understand these might be due to the wood not drying properly, but I'm not sure how to handle it. Should I try injecting wood glue into these cracks, or is there a better way to approach this? Any tips or resources would really help out!
2 Answers
Exactly! The main reason for cracking is moisture loss as the wood shrinks. Injecting glue might seem like a fix, but it'll just lead to more cracks forming later. It's better to embrace the natural look and take care when working with the wood. Any chances you can store them in a controlled environment while you work on them?
It sounds like you're dealing with those typical cracks that come with green wood. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it; it's pretty common for green wood to crack while drying. If you plan on carving, consider using pieces that have already split open or avoid the heart of the logs since that’s where cracks usually start. Also, if you can share some pictures, it would help people give you better advice!
Gotcha! I’ll try to find logs without the heart. Here’s a link to some pics I found: [https://imgur.com/a/GuN6DcC](https://imgur.com/a/GuN6DcC)
That's good to know! I’ll keep that in mind. Any tips on how to manage the drying process better?